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CONSTRUCTION

Construction employment falls in Providence metro in December

CONSTRUCTION employment dropped 5 percent in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick area in December, while holding steady in the New Bedford area, the Associated General Contractors of America said Monday.

WASHINGTON – Construction employment declined in 131 out of 337 metro areas – including the Providence-Fall River-Warwick area – rose in 139 out of 337 metro areas and stayed stagnant in 65 metro areas – including the New Bedford area – from December 2011 to December 2012, according to a report from the Associated General Contractors of America.

The Providence metro area lost 1,000 construction jobs in December, a year-over-year loss of 5 percent, to 17,600 jobs, not seasonally adjusted.

The New Bedford metro area’s construction, mining and logging job count was unchanged year over year in December at 2,100.

Nationally, association officials said that growing private sector demand for new construction projects boosted employment in the slight majority of metro areas.

“Private sector demand for energy, health care, higher education and residential construction is having a positive impact in a growing number of metro areas,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in prepared remarks. “Unfortunately, construction employment in almost as many metro areas appears to be suffering from declining public sector demand and a private sector market that is still well-below peak levels.”

Statewide, Rhode Island lost 1,100 construction jobs, or 6.7 percent year over year, in December. The Ocean State’s percentage construction job loss represented the largest in the United States and Washington, D.C.,

Statewide, Massachusetts ranked 25th nationally, with a 0.3 percent employment increase in construction jobs over the year in December 2012.

For the full Associated General Contractors of America report, visit www.agc.org.

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